Sight-feed lubricator.



No. 677,657. Patented luly 2, 190|. W. GRIMES & C. C. WAKEFIELD.

SIGHT FEED LUBRICATOR.

(Application Sled Jan. 21, 1901.) 2. 3 sheets-sheet (No Model.)

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No. 677,657. Patented my 2,1901.

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l UNiT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER GRIMES AND CHARLES CHEERS WAKEFIELD, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SIGHTFEED :LUBRI CATOR.

SPECIFICATIN forming para of Letters Patent No. 677,657, dated July 2, 1901. Application filed January 21, 1901. Serial No. 44,139. (N model- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER GRIMEs and CHARLES CHEERS WAKEEIELD, subjects of the Queen of England, and residents of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Sight- Feed Lubricators, (for which application' has been made in Great Britain under No. 19,611, dated November 1, 1900,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sight-feed lubricators, and has forits object the construction of a4 lubricator in which should the glass break the escape of steam and oil is automatically stopped, but the normal flow of the oil is uninterrupted and unaltered.

In lubricators according to this invention the oil passes through a conduit provided with4 a transparent wall or window,'which preferably consists of a diskof glass held in position by a screwed plug or equivalent and provided with packing-rings.' Within the conduit is a valve, between which and the window the oil normally passes. This valve is adapted in the event of the glass breaking to seat itself automatically upon a seat provided for it between the window and the conduit, thus effectually preventing the escape of steam and oil through the broken'glass, but allowing the normal flow of oil through the conduit to continue. Conveniently the valve may be in the form' of a piston, the stem or rod yof which fits loosely in a recess provided in the wall of the conduit, and it is preferred to allow free access of steam to the back of the valve, so that when the glass breaks the Valve is forced forward by the steamas well as drawn forward by the escaping water, dac.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one construction of sightfeed lubricator according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

The body A of the lubricator is provided with a screwed plug A', which is removed when it is desired to introduce a fresh supply of oillinto the lubricator, and a valve or plug A2 at the bottom, by means of which the condensed water may be drained 0E.

In a thickened wall A3 of the body A is a conduit B,' furnished vwith a nozzle C and closed at the top by a screwed plug B. The nozzle C serves as aninlet for oil, which passes into it from the body A of the lubricator through 'a pipe D, the amount of oil being regulated by means of a valve E, operated by a hand-wheel E and working in a screwed fitting E2. Near the top of the conduit B is an outlet F, communicating through a passage F with an exit F2, which is placed in communication with the parts to be lubricated.

In the wall A8 is a tapped opening which breaks into the side of the conduit B. Into this opening'is screwed a plug G, having a bore G', which forms an aperture in the side of the conduit. The outer portion of this bore is enlarged and receives a disk G2, of glass or other fairly-transparent material, which is held between packing-rings G3 and kept securely in place by a screwed plug G4. This disk G2 forms a window, through which the passage of oil from the inlet C to the outlet F is visible. In the other'wall of the conduit opposite to the bore G is a recess B2, which accommodates a valve H, the stem H of which is free to slide in a recess B2, leading from the back of the recess B2. The stem H is preferably not circular in cross-section, but is provided with longitudinal grooves or passages H2 in order that steam may be admitted to the back of the valve through a passage J, which communicates with the passage F'.

Upon the inner side of the plug G-that is, between the window G2 and the conduit B- is a seat G5 for the valve H, and should the window G2 break the valve H is forced by the pressure behind it and drawn by the escaping steam and water into the seat G5, thus closing the bore G and preventing the escape of oil and water, dac., through the broken Window. Steam is admitted to the lubricator through a passage K, controlled by a valve L, operated by a hand-wheel L. After passing the valve L the steam flows through a passage K into a pipe K2, which leads it to the bottom of the body A of the lubricator.

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From a space L2, in whichv the valve L operates and with which the passage K communicates, another passage M extends and leads into the oil-exit F2 in such a way that when the Valve L is opened the oil in the passage F is forced out at the exit F2 by the injectorlike action of steam passing through the passage M.

The oil in the body A of the lubricator is forced by the steam passing in through the. pipe K2 to the top of the lubricator and thence passes down the pipe D to the nozzle C, its flow being controlled by the valve E. This regulated flow is uninterrupted and unaltered if owing to the window G2 breaking the Valve H is forced into its seat G5. It will be noticed that the top of the nozzle C is slightly below the path of the Valve H, so that the lat'- ter is unimpeded when crossing the conduit B.

If a breakage occurs, the Valve H may be replaced after shutting off steam by unscrewing the plug G4, withdrawing the broken disk G2, with its packing-rings G3, and pushingv the valve back by inserting any suitable instrument through the bore G. A new window may then be inserted and the plug GA and packing-rings G3 replaced and the lubricator started into action again.

Obviously the lubricator may be allowed to continue in action as long as desired after the glass has broken and the valve H forced to its seat G5. In these circumstances a disk of metal may take the place of the window G2 in order to prevent the valve I-I being pushed back by accident, and it is convenient to make the recess for the disk. G2 about the same size as some ordinary coin, so that it is easy to temporarily supply the place of a broken glass.

Although the lubricator described is of the type in which the steam assists the outward flow of the oil from the exit F2, it is to be understood that the invention may be applied to simple displacement or any other form of.

sight-feed lubricators.

What we claim as our invention, and desire lto secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. In a lubricator the combination of a conduit, the oil-passage, communicating between the steam-pipe and conduit, an inlet and an outlet in the conduit, a window through which the passage of oil from the inlet to the outlet is visible, a valve within the conduit and a passage leading from the oil-passage Vto the rear of the val ve, through which steam'passes; whereby the Valve under the action of the back pressure of steam through the oil-passage communicating with said conduit shuts off communication between the conduit and; the window if the latter breaks without in-' terrupting or altering the flow of oil.

2. In a lubricator the combination of a conduit,`the passage communicating between the steam-pipe and conduit, an inlet for oil near the bottom of said conduit, an outlet near the A top of the conduit, an aperture in the conduit between the inlet and outlet, a window closing the aperture, a Valve-seat between the window and the conduit, a valve within the conduit and a passage leading from the oilpassage to the rear of the Valve, through which steam passes, whereby the valve nnder the action of the back pressure of steam through theoil-passage is forced into the Valve-seat and shuts od communication between the conduit and the window if the latter breaks without interrupting or altering the iow of oil.

3. In a lubricator the combination of a conduit, the oil-passage communicating between the steam-passage and conduit, a valve-controlled inlet for oil near the bottom of said conduit, an outlet near the top of the conduit, an aperture in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet, a transparent disk forming a removable window closing the aperture, a screwed plug to secure said disk in position, a Valve-seat between the window and the conduit, a recess in the wall of the conduit opposite to the valve-seat and a valve loosely held in such recess, a passage leading from the oil-passage to said recess, by which steam is admitted to the recess, whereby the Valve under the action of the back pressure of steam through the oil-passage is forced into the valve-seat and shuts off communication between the conduit and the window if the latter breaks without interrupting or altering the flow of oil.

4E. In a lubricator the combination of a conduit, the oil-passage com mnnicating between the steam-pipe and conduit,a valve-controlled inlet for oil near Vthe bottom of said conduit, an outlet near the top of the conduit, an a'per ture in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet, a transparent disk forming a removable window closing the aperture, a screwed plug to secure said disk in position, a Valve- Seat between the window and the conduit, a recess in the wall of the conduit opposite to the valve-seat, a valve loosely held in such recess and having a stem provided with passages to admit steam to the back o'f the valve,

` and a passage between the oil-passage and the recess accommodating the stem of the valve through which back pressure of steam through the oil-passages is communicated to said recess substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a lubricator the combination of a conduit, the oil-passage communicating between the steam-passage and conduit, a valve-controlled inlet for oil near the bottom of said conduit, an outlet near the top of nthe lconduit, an inlet for steam to the body of the lubricator, a by-pass connecting the steamin'let with the oil-outlet, an aperture in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet, a transparent disk forming a 'remo'Vablewindow closing the aperture, a screwed plug to secure said disk in position, a valve-seat between the window and the conduit, a recess in the wall of the conduit opposite to the Valve-seat and 'a valve loosely held in such IOO Ito

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recess, a passage leading from the oil-passage to said recess by which 'steam is admitted to the recess, whereby the valve under the action of the back pressure of steam through the oilpassage is forced into the Valve -seat and shuts off communication between the conduit and the Window if the latter breaks Without interrupting or altering the flow of oil.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this speeieation in the presence of ro tWo subsoribingr Witnesses.

WALTER GRIMES. CHARLES CHEERS WAKEFIELD.

Witnesses:

ALFRED J. BOULT, HARRY B. BRIDGES. 

